Thursday, October 10, 2013

UFC Fight Night 29: Spoilers, Reflections, & Highlights

So, last night....happened.
All in all, I was entertained. I was a bit disappointed watching Demian Maia give away early rounds rather than institute a proved 5 round game plan against Jake Shields which is pick him apart and pressure him.

Demian Maia decided to prove whose ground game was better and in attempting to take the back, lost one or more of those crucial rounds and thus a split decision as he ended up on bottom at the end of the first two rounds.

Not that anyone cares to see Shields get jabbed to death with his laughably passable stand-up in a rematch against GSP. For a guy with something like 30+ fights, I don't see him ever getting the belt at 170 with his stand-up. He's not dynamic enough of a wrestler to put the fight where he needs against GSP or others like Hendricks, and I can't help but think Condit's killer instinct would kick in with a guy plodding about with the errant jab or snap kick that Jake Shields sticks out there. To say nothing of what Hendricks bazooka of a cross would do to his consciousness.

Dong Hyun Kim looked like exhaustion was about to bring him down but proved to Erick Silva that all it takes is a momentary lapse in focus/carelessness and it's lights out.

Toquinho went for 2 textbook youtube instructional heel hook entry. Some are decrying his holding on, I only counted about 4 seconds from the time the referee jumped in, it's certainly less egregious than his prior issues with "hespecting the tap".

I missed the Dillashaw/Assuncao fight heading back from a Kids Judo class I help teach.

Matt Hammill actually looked smooth and quick on his feet to start but leg kicks and a gameplan that included virtually no takedowns early in the fight led to him nearly being TKO'd via leg kicks and Silva could have probably gotten the stoppage if he decided to put the foot on the gas there at the end.

Fabio Maldonado nearly lost a decision b/c he wanted to showboat and rouse the crowd rather than simply put the leather to Beltran's face.
If you have time to showboat, you have time to finish. I guess some people in the crowd like that sorta thing, but for me, it's like breaking the 4th wall in a movie. Fight and finish, not dance and flash and ask for applause mid-fight.

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As for my picks, I correctly picked 3 fights (Kim, Toquinho, and Maldonado). If I'd paid more attention to the card I'd have picked Silva over the now he's unretired Matt Hammill.